The Debate Over Proposition 19 Reaches Latin America
(KCBS) - The debate over California's ballot measure that would legalize marijuana has now landed in Latin America.
The leaders of Colombia, Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica have all said that the passage of Proposition 19 would send a contradictory message from the United States.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said during the Latin American presidential summit that if Californians approve the initiative, it would require a review of the principles that have long underpinned efforts to combat drugs in Latin America, with support from the U.S. government.
Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington D.C.-based think tank that focuses on Western Hemisphere affairs, spoke to KCBS about how the hotly contested measure is viewed worldwide.
Listen to the KCBS interview with Michael Shifter:
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